


love don't come easy (it's a game of give and take)

by lexa_lives_in_us



Series: you can't hurry love (no you'll just have to wait) [1]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: American Sign Language, Canon Compliant, F/F, Like, Missing Scene, jamaya, janaya - Freeform, not even gonna pretend it's not, this is gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-18 07:08:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21990247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lexa_lives_in_us/pseuds/lexa_lives_in_us
Summary: Janai opens the book, finding with satisfaction that is filled with drawings, little explanations of Katolis’s sign language.She turns a few pages, looking at a few words that she could use to string together a menacing sentence to direct toward her prisoner.As she flips through the pages to find the sign for Damage, which the dictionary is sending her to as a synonym for Threat, her eyes fall on the page right next to it, where the last C words are depicted. There is Cut, and right after it, Cute.Janai stops.Her eyes narrow.She tries to go back to analyze the word Damage, but her gaze keeps darting back to that single four lettered word.orA story of missing moments in The Dragon Prince, Season 3.
Relationships: Amaya & Callum & Ezran (The Dragon Prince), Amaya/Janai (The Dragon Prince)
Series: you can't hurry love (no you'll just have to wait) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1582969
Comments: 154
Kudos: 553
Collections: The Dragon Prince





	1. ONE

**Author's Note:**

> I love them, they're soulmates, this was supposed to be a oneshot and I'm twenty pages deep, so here's the first seven.  
> I haven't even re-read it, and I wrote the majority of it at 1AM, so there's that?

CHAPTER ONE

* * *

Janai’s the one who realizes it first.

The newfound knowledge surprises her but it’s something that she pushes away in lieu of what just happened.

It takes her hours to fully comprehend the implications of her prisoner’s situation, but as they’re all standing at what was once the Breach and is now just a close view of the lava waterfall, she watches as the human General lowers their gaze to the ground and raises their hands.

The human looks defeated, and tired, but Janai knows in her bones that they must’ve accepted that fate the moment they had decided to attack her.

Her guards order the human to fall on their knees, and they are met with nothing but stillness and silence.

The General is still obstinately looking at the ground, almost preparing themselves for what’s to come.

Janai hates humans, but she’s a warrior and she has a code: that person just saved her life, she’s not going to kill them like an animal while standing next to a canyon of lava.

And yet, the General doesn’t look up, and doesn’t kneel.

One of her guards pokes them in the leg with the spear and the human looks up, confused, then glances back at Janai.

“Kneel.” Janai repeats, and she sees clearly how the human looks down to her lips and how those brown eyes color in understanding. Immediately, the General looks back at the guards and kneels.

Before her guards can cuff them, Janai steps in front of them and studies their face.

“Can you hear me?” She asks.

The human seems relieved at the question and shakes their head.

Janai glances back at the Breach, or what’s left of it, and wonders if the explosion has impacted her prisoner’s hearing.

Apparently, her confusion causes the human to chuckle. Janai looks back at them as they shake their head with a sad smile.

Despite her guard’s objections, they lower one hand, using the index finger to point at their own chest, then raising it to their temple and moving it toward their chin.

“Deaf.” The General mouths as they do this.

Janai grits her teeth. The situation has just gotten harder: she can speak human language, but she has no idea how to speak human sign language.

“Cuff them.” She orders, her face toward the human to make sure they understand.

She then storms off, leaving the guards to obey her instructions.

“And send word for Kazi. I need their help as soon as we reach Lux Aurea.”

As they travel to the city, Janai stays clear of the prisoner.

A couple of her soldiers know a few signs of the Katolis language, and they manage to collect some not-so-relevant but still good information.

The General identifies as a woman.

She is deaf from birth.

Her name is Amaya.

Janai nods to the soldier who reports to her that night. She sends him to sleep.

As she glances up to where the rest of her soldiers are setting camp, she meets the dark brown eyes of the woman they’ve captured.

The General -Amaya- grins cockily at her and winks.

Janai feels the fire inside of her ignite, out of control.

She hates the human.

For her guts, for her apparent lack of fear. For having blown up half the Breach.

And also, for being so stupidly good looking.

Janai thinks it’s really unfair that a human is so attractive.

She grits her teeth and storms back into her own tent.

The interrogation is not at all going like she’d originally planned.

Kazi is doing an amazing job, of course, but the human is not at all cooperating.

The General doesn’t seem to be worried at all about the situation she’s in. It doesn’t seem to worry her the fact that she’s in enemy territory, in the most heavily guarded part of the most heavily guarded city of the Sunfire Elves reign.

It doesn’t seem to bother her that she’s a prisoner, and that she’s most likely going to be sentenced to death.

As she stands outside the ring of fire, right after the woman has so nicely offered to shove her sword up her ass herself, Janai stares at the human and secretly admires her.

As much as she maddens her and irritates her, Janai appreciates a good warrior when she sees one.

And where her sister might see a threat, Janai sees an opportunity.

Unfortunately, where here sister might also see an enemy, Janai realizes that she’s seeing a person that is more similar to her than she’d have ever imagined.

“Fuck.” She mutters, turning on her heels to leave.

She finds herself rolling over in bed, unable to catch any sleep.

She wants to tell herself that it’s because she’s too used to the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, she has had at the Breach to actually rest on the comfort of the capital, but she’s too smart to lie to herself like that.

Janai has always proud herself of the ability to get any prisoner to talk. She’s always been able to get her way with things, with words.

That’s why she’s made it in the Army. As sister of the Queen and second in the line of succession, she wouldn’t have been able to take the arms, let alone lead the whole battalion the Sunfire Elves owned.

But she’d convinced her sister to give her a chance, and together with her prowess and her ability to wield the sword she had gotten what she had wanted.

She is the Golden Knight of Lux Aurea. She is the Commander of the Sunfire Army. She should be getting any information she wants out of every prisoner she captures.

And yet now words fail her, and her sword has been beaten by another.

General Amaya of Katolis has not only defeated her while fighting but is now not able to communicate what she wants to hear.

Or worse yet, she _is_ able to communicate, while Janai is not able to understand.

Somehow, Amaya has defeated her twice.

Angrily, Janai kicks away the soft, light blanket and rolls out of bed.

Without even slipping on her boots, she wanders out into the halls, in search of answers she doesn’t know the question of.

She finds herself in the library, going through book after book with her eyes only, looking for a title or an author that might trigger some sort of revelation inside of her.

Nothing comes.

Instead, her feet take her to a section about languages, and maybe, Janai tells herself, maybe Lux Aurea and its extensive library does have a solution for her problems.

Wide awake, she starts looking for books about sign languages, and once she finds the shelf, she starts picking all the ones that look like they might help her understand the Katolis one.

She finds a smaller one, written by an author Janai has never heard of, and she briefly wonders how many of the volumes she’s read in the past were in fact written by humans.

This undoubtedly is, since the drawing on the cover depicts a humanoid with five fingers for each hand.

Janai opens the book, finding with satisfaction that is filled with drawings, little explanations of Katolis’s sign language.

It seems to be written in the human alphabetical order, which makes it fairly easy to navigate.

Janai turns a few pages, looking at a few words that she could use to string together a menacing sentence to direct toward her prisoner.

As she flips through the pages to find the sign for Damage, which the dictionary is sending her to as a synonym for Threat, her eyes fall on the page right next to it, where the last C words are depicted.

There is Cut, and right after it, Cute.

Janai stops.

Her eyes narrow.

She tries to go back to analyze the word Damage, but her gaze keeps darting back to that single four lettered word.

Janai growls, frustrated.

She berates herself for her own feelings, for her own desires.

Once again, she’s too smart to lie to herself: the human is attractive, and in more ways than one. She’s not just incredibly hot, with toned muscled shoulders and a fluidity in her movements that makes it impossible to look away.

But when she smirks and then act all innocent, when she looks around in the ring of fire with more curiosity then worry on her face, Amaya looks like a child during the celebrations of Midsummer.

She is the embodiment of that same word Janai can’t take her eyes off of.

Cute.

Before realizing what she’s actually doing, Janai brings index and middle finger of her free hand toward her chin, just like the picture shows, while keeping her thumb extended.

She brushes her chin once, and that seems to make her snap out of her reverie.

She blinks, then stares at her own hand like it has betrayed her.

She doesn’t have too much time to think it over, because the footsteps of another midnight visitor make her freeze on the spot.

Janai snaps the small book closed, slipping it inside her robes, then quietly leaves the library.

Amaya passes the judgment of the light because _of course_ she does.

Of course, she’s pure of heart.

Contrarily to her sister, Janai is not one bit surprised by the outcome.

What shocks her, and absolutely flips half of her world upside down, is how quickly Amaya she has trusted her when she’d told her to look straight into the light.

Janai knows that, without one of her senses, Amaya must rely heavily on the other four, sight in particular.

And yet, even with her hands bound and everything else stripped away, even after having spat on the Queen herself -Janai had specifically told her not to do anything stupid, so of course Amaya had spat on the Queen- even after all that, Amaya had watched her lips moving and had trusted her. Blindly, for how ironic that is.

Janai can’t shake that thought off her.

As she leads a blind, shaken human out of the throne room, she watches her stumbling, and leaning against her, and she wonders how does Amaya trust her after all she’s put her through.

As they reach the entrance of the dungeons, Amaya trips on her feet and Janai catches her before she can actually fall.

As she steadies her, Amaya’s body starts shaking and the woman ducks her head, trying to contain the sobs.

Janai doesn’t think it twice, and wraps her arms around the human’s shoulders, hugging her.

Amaya clings to her like she’s her anchor, and Janai feels something bubbling in the pit of her stomach.

The dungeons are deserted, but Janai thinks she would’ve done it even if they’d been full of people.

She bends her knees and picks Amaya up bridal style, leaving the dungeons and heading for her own room.

Amaya turns her face and hides it in her chest. She cries silently, and Janai once again wonders what she’s done to earn this strong woman’s trust.

As she places her on her own bed, Amaya shakes once again, and blindly grabs her wrists to prevent her from leaving.

Janai can’t find in herself the strength to move away anyway.

She sits next to her and Amaya releases the grip on her hands.

She brings her fists in front of her and her body shakes just so, before she opens her hands, palms facing her chest and fingers almost touching.

She repeats the sign, over and over again, and Janai wishes she knew more to figure out what Amaya needs, to figure out how to help her.

Amaya keeps repeating the sign, until Janai grabs her hands in her own and holds them, unable to watch her desperately try to communicate without any successful outcome.

She smooths her palms out and holds Amaya’s hands in hers.

Amaya’s body relaxes, and the woman’s shoulders slump a bit. She sniffs and takes a deep breath, then collects her knees to her chest and stares forward, in what must be a horrifying void.

“I’m sorry.” Janai says, helplessly. For what she’s saying sorry, she doesn’t know. She thinks it’s more than just one thing.

“I’m sorry.”

When Kazi sneaks in the room, the door closing softly behind them, Amaya frowns.

Janai is more and more impressed by her sense of space awareness, and gently pats her on one knee before getting up to talk to Kazi.

The elf has brought medication with them and is already disposing them on the bedside table.

“Kazi.” Janai starts, hesitantly. She waits for them to look up before repeating the sign Amaya has made a few minutes before.

“What does this mean?”

Kazi’s face drops a little, and their lips tilt downward. They throw a glance in Amaya’s direction and sigh.

“It means ‘scared’.”

Janai’s stomach somersaults.

She turns to look at Amaya, still rolled up with her knees against her chest, and she feels anger toward herself.

Here’s a woman who’s literally fought through lava and flaming swords.

A woman who’s voluntarily thrown herself into the enemy’s hands in order to save her people, who’s treated her with warrior’s honour and walked with her head held high in the middle of an elven court.

A woman who’s cockily told her captor to shove her sword up her ass.

A woman who has never shown any sign of fear in front of absolutely anything.

And Janai has put her in front of yet another loss in her life. She and no one else is responsible for forcing the fear in this fearless warrior.

The fact that the blindness is temporary does nothing to quell Janai’s guilt.

Kazi clears their voice and gestures to the herbs, the water and the pieces of fabric they’ve brought.

They take turns changing the herb infused cloth on Amaya’s eyes, once an hour for the rest of the day.

Janai doesn’t speak but feels Kazi’s gaze on her the whole time.

Once Amaya regains her sight, they sneak her back into the dungeons, raising the ring of fire once again.

Amaya is quiet. She always is, of course, but something in her behaviour has shifted.

She’s less prone to egging Janai on when she tries to ask her questions.

She’s less prone to answering anything at all, really.

She just stares at her with something in her eyes that Janai can’t quite pinpoint.

Every night, in the quiet of her room, Janai flips through the sign book she’s found in the library.

She tries out different signs every night, learning the alphabet and practicing her finger spelling. She doesn’t tell Kazi this, but she pays close attention to the gestures they make when they translate her questions.

Every night, in the quiet of her room, Janai flips the pages back to the end of the C words and stares.

The little humanoid drawing for “Cute” stares back at her unflinching, unchanging.

Every night, in the quiet of her room, Janai slams the book closed and goes to bed for a restless sleep.

Khessa walks into her room a few days later.

Janai almost flings herself off the chair in the haste of hiding the book back in the top drawer, but if Khessa notices how weird she’s being, she doesn’t say anything.

At first.

She asks her about her day, prompts for updates about the Breach and the interrogation of her prisoner, and Janai is nothing if not thorough in her answers, but she carefully keeps her tone as flat and disinterested as possible.

Khessa nods, pacing around the room, lost in her thoughts.

She leans with her back against the desk and crosses her arms, then stares at Janai with something akin to awe.

“You like her.” She says.

Janai freezes. She keeps her hands clasped behind her back, back stiff and straight as a rod, and she’s proud of how she manages to keep every emotion off her voice and face.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Khessa scoffs, then blindly reaches for the top drawer and snags it open. She picks the book up and holds it in front of her.

Janai doesn’t move.

Khessa’s eyes, still locked in hers, start to glow, and the marks on her face, neck, arms and hands light up.

The hardcover of the book she’s holding in front of her heats up almost immediately, and a thin puff of smoke rolls up from where the Queen’s hand is holding the paper.

It’s about to be set on fire, and they both know there is nothing that’s going to save it if that happens.

“Please, don’t.” Janai says, softly.

Khessa’s eyes go back to normal, and her body heat is turned down once again.

After a few seconds, the book stops smoking.

Khessa places it back on the desk, her expression unreadable.

Janai can’t hold her gaze, lowering it to the floor, afraid of what she could find if she was to look her big sister in the eyes.

Khessa might be a hard ass, and she might be teasing her more times than she’s not, but Janai loves her deeply, and cares about her judgement more than she cares about anyone else’s.

She can’t lift her eyes off the floor, not even when she hears the Queen’s footsteps approaching.

Khessa’s fingers graze her chin, forcing her to lift her head and meet her eyes.

Janai sees confusion, and a bit of anger in them.

But she mostly sees love, and acceptance.

“I do not understand how this is possible. How you could be falling for a _human_.” Khessa says, and she doesn’t bother keeping the disgust out of her voice at the last word.

But her features soften, and her fingers splay on her cheek as she cups Janai’s face in her palm.

“But you are my little sister, and I trust you and your heart.”

Janai feels like she could cry.

She hasn’t let herself linger in what these feelings might be, and she has pushed every thought of Amaya so deep in the corners of her brain that she thought she’d successfully squished down the idea that she might be falling for her.

But her sister’s words, her acknowledgment that this is indeed happening, and her acceptance... She feels like her stomach has been ripped open, and she’s not sure she’s prepared to handle the rush of emotions that floods through her.

Janai simply nods, swallowing a lump of tears. She doesn’t break. She rarely does.

She’s still afraid of what people might think, of how they could react if they were to find out.

The Golden Knight of Lux Aurea, successor of the Queen herself, infatuated of a human.

They are still at war with humans, and she can’t see how her people would be accepting of her feelings.

But she looks up at her big sister, and she nods.

“Thank you.” She says.

Her secret is safe with her.

Khessa sighs and shakes her head.

“Don’t thank me yet. Just don’t bring more humans to my court, please.” She mutters, heading for the door.

She stops with her fingers on the handle.

“Be careful, Janai. I will not lose you to this war.”

Janai barely has the time to turn around before the door closes behind Khessa.

It is the last conversation they manage to have, before everything goes to hell.


	2. TWO

CHAPTER TWO

* * *

Janai hears laughter when she approaches the ring of fire.

Kazi is quite literally wheezing to something that Amaya must’ve said, because when Janai walks in, the elf is crouching with their hands on their stomach, and the General is staring at them with a smug grin on her face.

They both turn to look at her, Kazi straightening up almost immediately and Amaya’s grin fading from her face.

Janai tries not to let herself be affected by it.

Amaya is sitting on the floor, one hand behind her to keep her upright and the other arm casually leaning on her knee.

Janai takes a deep breath and crouches in front of her.

Amaya tilts her head in curiosity but doesn’t back away. Janai counts it as a good sign.

Tentatively, she raises her closed fist.

Kazi steps forward, but Amaya, once again, doesn’t flinch.

Janai places the palm side of her fist against her chest then rubs it in a circular motion.

Kazi gasps softly, and Amaya’s eyes widen just so in surprise.

“I’m sorry.” Janai says and repeats the sign.

To her surprise, Amaya places a hand on hers, stopping her.

She keeps it there, her lips tilting into a smile.

She shakes her head.

She lifts her own hand, snapping the extended right index and middle fingers closed to the extended thumb, palm facing down.

_No_ , she signs, and Kazi translates from behind Janai. _I should apologize._

Janai shakes her head. She opens her mouth to talk, but she’s interrupted by Amaya’s soft chuckle.

Using both hands this time, the General signs again.

_For once, your royal pain in the ass, let me speak._

Janai scoffs, but Amaya doesn’t seem to care.

_I know I haven’t been the easiest prisoner, and mind you, I’m not apologizing for_ that _._

Janai almost smiles, because of course the woman must tease her even in that situation.

“But?” She asks.

_But_ , Amaya signs. _I also know you’ve put a lot on the line to protect me, and you cared for me and my wellbeing when I couldn’t see. Not many others would have done the same, and I am grateful that you’re keeping me alive._

Janai’s heart almost jumps out of her chest at the smile Amaya gives her.

Nonetheless, she raises one eyebrow.

“You know, I’m still waiting for my apology.” She teases, and Amaya’s eyes light up in amusement and surprise.

Janai smiles smugly at her.

Two can play at this game.

Amaya scoffs, then signs.

_Fine. I’m sorry. I should’ve thanked you right away, and I have been unnecessarily rude at times._

Janai almost laughs. Rude is the understatement of the century.

“So you’re saying you’re sorry for telling me to shove my sword up my ass?” She questions, and Amaya smirks, leaning back on her left hand and signing with her right.

_Oh, no. You totally deserved that one._

The King of Katolis presents itself at their gates, asking for an audience with the Queen.

Khessa is rightfully skeptical, but when Janai reveals that he knows what happened to their grandmother, she calls for an immediate meeting with him.

Janai knows that something is wrong. She feels it in her bones.

She doesn’t know how to react to this new human. She sees him walking toward the throne room and she can’t stand the sight of him talking to her sister. When his skin, his body, reveal his true nature, dread fills her entire being, and she’s leaving the throne room before Khessa can call her back.

Her feet carry her to the lower levels of the court before she can even realize where she’s directed.

The moment she sees Amaya she knows she’s made the right choice.

The General is wise and smart and quick on her feet: she will have the answer to her discomfort.

“Bad news, my human friend.” She says, and frowns just for a moment at her choice of words.

Friend.

Parts of her wishes she’s sounded at least ironic, but the look on both Amaya and Kazi’s faces tell her she’s failed miserably.

She can’t take it back, and the satisfaction on Amaya’s face only manages to set her off.

“Your king came seeking passage.” She continues, not at all expecting the way Amaya reacts.

But she needs just one look into Amaya’s eyes to understand how serious she is.

Amaya has trusted her when she was most vulnerable, and she’s now pleading to trust her back.

Janai doesn’t think it twice.

She orders Kazi to gather the General’s armour, and she lowers the ring of fire for Amaya to step through.

Kazi has absolutely no idea how to work an armour, and they don’t have enough time to wait for Amaya to do it herself, so Janai steps forward and fastens the belts and the laces that Amaya can’t reach.

Their eyes meet, and there is stillness for a moment.

Then Amaya nods, and Janai nods back.

She might be still her prisoner, but there’s no denying the affection that is simmering underneath. And they both know it.

It burns. It burns more than the time she’s felt the fire of the sun rising in her for the first time.

It burns more than the time she’s tried to go through flames on the day of the Solstice.

It burns and it burns and it’s not inside, it’s not outside, it’s all over and nowhere at the same time.

Her body, her spirit, her bones.

Her heart feels like it’s been squeezed by a painful, horrifying iron fist.

Khessa is turned into ashes and a part of Janai dies with her.

She watches as her sister’s body falls almost gracefully from the edge of the Sun Forge, and she watches as it quickly and inexorably dissipates into nothing but cinder.

She hears the gut-wrenching scream of pain and despair her sister emits before her voice dies as well, dissolved into nothing.

She smells the strong scent of sulfur and burned flesh, carried by the soft wind that the Sun Forge itself is emitting.

She tastes blood in her throat for how loud she screams, for how she tries to reach her sister with her voice since she can’t reach her with her hands.

The ground is unsteady under her feet, but she throws herself toward the Sun Forge, fury and pain and horrors washing over her.

Everything overwhelms her and nothing makes sense.

Her world is upside down, metaphorically first and then physically, when someone tackles her to the ground.

She struggles and turns, a primal rage bubbling through her, her eyes glowing and her body heating up, a threat clear in her body toward whoever has dared putting themselves between her and the monster who’s murdered her sister.

She raises a fist, and her hand is immediately blocked by Amaya’s.

She smells burned leather and burned flesh, and Amaya flinches but doesn’t relent. She pins her down with more insistence, and Janai can’t fight it. She can’t fight her.

Amaya shakes her head, her gaze turning soft, her expression understanding and sorrowful.

Janai sees a world in her eyes.

There’s loss and pain and empathy and Janai’s universe crashes on the ground where she is.

She turns toward the Sun Forge and screams and screams and screams.

But the elves around her are running away from the danger, and the only person close enough to her just watches her scream without being able to listen to her pain.

Somehow, though, Amaya seems the only person who can hear it anyway.

They run.

Amaya tugs her until she’s standing, and then they’re running.

The Sun Forge has turned the sky black, and Janai can’t remember a time when she’s felt more scared, more hopeless.

She stumbles into the outer ring of the city to find her army already regrouping, and she watches her people turn to her with a thousand questions in their eyes.

She can’t stand the responsibility. Not now, not ever.

She finds the nearest tent and sneaks in, Amaya silently behind her.

As the flaps of the tent close behind the woman, Janai turns.

They’re alone, and Amaya is standing in front of the entrance, on the ready, a General in her soul and body.

And yet, Janai sees the sorrow and grief in her expression.

“She’s really gone, isn’t she?” She whispers.

Amaya nods, sad, placing her fist on her chest.

_I’m sorry_.

Janai swallows a lump of tears.

Before she realizes what’s happening, Amaya has left her position at the entrance and has moved forward.

Their bodies crash together as Amaya’s strong arms envelope her into a bone crashing hug.

Janai chokes a sob on the other woman’s armour. She won’t cry. She can’t cry. She won’t...

Amaya’s fingers trade gently underneath her dreadlocks and caress the back of her neck in the gentlest of touches.

Janai’s leans into her as the sobs wreck her whole body.

Her commander walks in without announcing herself, but if she’s surprised to see her in the arms of a human General, tears streaming down her face, she doesn’t show it.

“Your Radiance.” She says, forearms crossing in front of her face. “A young human man is here to see you. He says he has vital information in regard of his father doing. His father is... The man who has killed our Queen.”

Janai’s whole body go up in flames.

“Kill him.” She growls.

Amaya grabs her by the arm and violently shakes her head no.

“He is the son of a murderer.” Janai growls. “What makes you think he’s not here to finish the job?”

Amaya points at herself, then makes another sign that Janai vaguely recognizes, before gesturing “him.”

“You... confident him?” She tries, confused.

Amaya shakes her head and repeats the sign.

Janai frowns.

“You confide in him?”

Amaya looks at her like she’s about to smack her.

The commander clears her voice and coughs a word that sounds like “trust”.

Despite the situation, Amaya snorts, then nods.

“You trust him.” Janai finally understand.

Amaya nods with a soft smile, then points at Janai, repeats the trust sign and points at herself.

Janai doesn’t really have to question it, this time.

She should’ve trusted this woman from the beginning.

If she had, maybe they could’ve managed to reach the Sun Forge in time.

Maybe they could’ve stopped this.

Maybe her sister...

Janai nods.

“I do.” She says. Then, to her commander: “Bring him in.”

Soren is a pale child with gentle eyes, and Janai needs only one good look at him to figure out why Amaya trusts him.

The guy looks like he would have difficulty hurting a fly, despite his massive built and his obvious allegiance with a monster.

But Soren also stands in front of them with tears in his eyes and tells them everything.

He talks about the Dragon Prince, about two young humans of Katolis trying to return the offspring to his mother, the Dragon Queen.

He reveals how these two young princes, nephews of Amaya herself, have been travelling with their elf friend to try and do the right thing.

He tells them about Viren, about his bug-friend, about his plan and his demon army.

He tells them everything, answering Janai’s questions, while Amaya stands silently next to her.

Soren looks exhausted and afraid and guilty, by the time she’s done with her interrogation.

It’s only then that Amaya uncrosses her arms and puts her fingers to her temple, bringing her hand forward with pinkie and thumb extended.

_Why?_

Janai finds it incredible how much she can communicate through one simple sign, and she has trouble taking her eyes off Amaya for a long moment.

Soren closes his eyes.

“I promise on my faith that I will in the future be faithful to the lord, never cause him harm and will observe my homage to him completely against all persons in good faith and without deceit." (*)

Amaya looks almost surprised by these words, and Janai wonders what they might mean.

Luckily, Soren sighs and continues.

“I swore an oath when you made knight out of me. I forgot that promise, but no more. My allegiance goes to my king, and that is not my father.” He murmurs, head low. “I hope you will forgive me, one day.”

There is a moment of tense silence, in which Janai sees a river of emotions floating on Amaya’s face.

Then Amaya steps forward and envelops the young crown guard in a motherly hug.

They give Soren the fastest horse they can find. He promises to find Callum and Ezran and to warn them about what is happening.

Janai watches Amaya and Soren say their goodbyes and questions herself when was the moment that she stopped seeing all humans as monsters.

Janai asks her commander to rally her troops and find her a spot where she can oversee them, where she can talk to them.

Her army comes together quickly, worried and manic at the same time.

Janai takes one long look at them, at their faces, at their bodies. She doesn’t know if she can do it, if she has the strength, but she certainly has no choice.

She takes a deep breath, opening her mouth to speak... and nothing comes out.

She swallows the rage she feels for herself, but she can’t seem to figure out where to start.

It’s Amaya who steps forward, then, and the elves scream.

The sound manages to shake Janai out of her reverie, and she raises a hand.

The Sunfire Elves quiet as one.

Janai feels her eyes burn with tears, because she sees how they’re looking at her.

Like their general. Like their leader.

Like their Queen.

“Queen Khessa has fallen.” She says, with a voice that doesn’t sound like hers.

There is a horrified murmur going through the lines, and she pushes forward.

“The human responsible for this _will_ pay.”She continues.

The eyes of her people shift to Amaya, who remains unflinching, watching her, and Janai doesn’t know what she’s done to deserve this woman’s trust, but she’s more than determined to not betray it.

“General Amaya of the Katolis army is _not_ the enemy!” She says, loud and clear, turning once again to face her people.

“She is not on her king’s side of this war. She tried to stop him, and together with me she failed.”

Her people look amongst one another, confused but still faithful, and Janai takes a step forward, unsheathing her sword. The fire within lights up the spot where she’s standing.

“This man, and those with him, will pay. But this man doesn’t represent all men, just like the elf who was with him at the SunForge doesn’t represent all elves.”

She takes a break, a long pause, then...

“The Dragon Prince lives.”

There is a shocked silence before her people start screaming, asking for answers, demanding to know what she’s talking about.

Janai raises her hand once again to ask for silence.

“The egg of the Dragon Prince was not destroyed like we thought. He lives, and two human boys, the rightful heirs of the throne of Katolis are on their way right now to return the baby to his mother. General Amaya, together with other humans, are on their side; our side.”

New murmurs start to spread across her people, but they are different.

If they were scared before, they are determined now.

If they were suspicious at first, they are now hopeful.

Amaya places a hand on Janai’s wrist and signs rapidly something that Janai understands only in halves.

She looks helplessly at her commander, who shrugs.

She throws an apologetic glance at Amaya, but before she can do more than that, a familiar voice reaches her ears.

“Let me speak to them.”

They both turn to look at Kazi, who is approaching with a group of Sunfire Elves behind them.

“I had to find more people.” They explain. “Apologies for my delay. General Amaya, I can translate, now.”

Amaya grins at Kazi and Janai almost smiles. She nods.

Amaya steps forward once again, and Kazi’s voice is clear and loud for everyone to hear.

_I shiver to what that man has done. Lord Viren is no king, and be warned, he will not stop until he’s reached his goal. He wants the Dragon Prince dead. He wants the Dragon Queen dead. Our people have fought for so long against each other, bringing blood and fear and destruction. I will not fight you anymore, only fight for what’s right. I have a plan to aid the Dragon Queen, but we must hurry. The Storm Spire is not close, and we need to reach it before Viren’s army does. I know it is a lot to ask, but I ask anyway: trust me, and I will fight by your side until this is over._

Janai watches and listens, and her heart soars when her people raise their weapons as one, cheering and roaring in support of the human General.

Amaya watches as well, and Janai almost wishes she could hear the sound of the fight she has inspired.

By the light on Amaya’s face when she looks back, she knows she can feel it anyway.

They reorganize the army, or what’s left of it. Janai puts Kazi in charge of the weak and the young, ordering them to find a safe space in the outer rings of Lux Aurea until the battle is over.

Amaya slips back into her General shoes, snapping orders left and right knowing that they will be followed.

Janai trusts the woman with her life, and that seems to be enough for her people to trust her as well.

Together, they manage to put together an army in half of the time it would’ve taken if they had been on their own.

Kazi finds her before they mount their rides. They slip something in Janai’s bag, and Janai peeks in to see her sign language book. She looks at Kazi, who awkwardly shrugs and smiles.

“I figured you might need it. Since I won’t be there.”

Janai shakes her head and almost laughs. She likes the kid, and she really hopes she’ll live to see them again.

They say their goodbye to Kazi and march on.

They travel at fast pace, elves marching on the solid ground and the two of them soaring the skies from above with Janai’s griffin.

The first time they take off, is after a solid half hour of bantering between her and Amaya.

The human doesn’t appreciate the idea of leaving the ground so far behind her, and Janai still doesn’t trust to leave her alone with an army of Sunfire Elves.

Despite how highly she thinks of her men and women, she is not sure that leaving a human in the midst without her supervision is a good idea.

But Amaya is tough to convince, even more so since Janai has no idea what half of the signs she makes mean.

After the fifth time Amaya makes the sign for “ _Why_?”, Janai snaps.

“I just want to be able to protect you!” She growls. “Please!”

Amaya’s hands drop, and her eyebrow raises, together with a little smirk.

Janai crosses her arms and scoffs.

“Don’t look so pleased with yourself, human. You’re still my prisoner. It is my duty to make sure you’re safe.”

Amaya openly laughs at that, shaking her head and turning toward the griffin.

She mounts with way more elegance than it should be allowed to someone who’s never even seen a griffin before this same day, then turns to look at Janai.

She winks at her, and Janai regrets all the life choices she’s made in the past week.

Amaya’s arms are strong around her waist.

Janai tries her best to keep her breathing in check, but when Amaya leans with her head against her back she realizes that there’s really no use whatsoever.

They only stop at night to rest, knowing that the lack of sun would make them an easy target as it diminishes their strength and efficiency.

Janai works tirelessly to put up tents together with the rest of her people, while Amaya works with her commander to coordinate the night shifts for standing guard.

By the time Janai is done, with everyone fed and headed to bed, Amaya has disappeared for a solid half hour.

Janai trusts that the woman is wise enough to not wander off on her own into enemy territory, but she can’t help but worry.

When she walks into her tent, exhausted but ready to go on a search for the human, what she finds surprise her and stops her dead in her tracks.

Amaya, undressed down to the dirty under armour clothes she’s had for the whole duration of her imprisonment in Lux Aurea, is standing with her back to the entrance, hands dipped in a basin full of water.

Janai stares at the woman, relieved that she is safe and a little surprised to find her so comfortably settled in her tent.

Janai wrecks her brain to figure out a way to let her know she’s there without scaring Amaya out of her skin, since the woman seems lost in her own thoughts.

Awkwardly, Janai irradiated her body in heat and light, and the markings on her arms and face glow for a couple of seconds, successfully illuminating the small tent.

Amaya turns to look at her, producing a dagger from Gods know where and preparing herself to fight.

Janai doesn’t move.

As soon as Amaya sees and recognizes her, her body relaxes.

Janai presses her fist to her chest to rub a “Sorry” just as Amaya moves to sign the same.

They stare at each other for a second, then they both chuckle, awkwardly.

Janai takes a few steps inside the tent, starting to undo the belts and buckles of her armour. She drops her bag, casually checking that her book is still there and then pushing it back in.

She turns and nods at the water.

“I can warm that up for you.”

To her surprise, Amaya’s cheeks tint in red, while a faint blush spreads over her features.

She uses her left hand to sign _No, thanks_.

Janai frowns. Amaya’s right hand is dangling on her side, not so subtly trying to stay out of sight.

She immediately drops the buckle she’s fighting against and marches to the human. She grabs her wrist, forcing Amaya’s hand with her palm up. To her credit, Amaya doesn’t really put up a fight, and her face is relaxed when Janai sees what she’d been trying to hide.

Her palm is burned to the flesh, an ugly, red marking spreading almost to the fingers. It looks fresh, and raw, and painful.

“What happened?!” She asks, trying to rack her brains and figure out when she’s left Amaya alone, when this could’ve happened, who could’ve done it...

_Nothing_. Amaya signs, almost too quickly.

And that’s when it hits her. Amaya’s hand slips away from her grasp, as realization dawns on her.

Horrified, she looks at her own wrist, right where Amaya had grabbed her a few hours back, to hold her down, to prevent her from running to the Sun Forge.

“I’m sorry.” She says.

She’s being saying that a lot, lately.

Amaya shakes her head with a smile.

She gingerly places her hand back in the cold water, and Janai takes a step back. Then another.

She turns around and leaves the tent.

Janai comes back to find Amaya sitting on one of two cots, toying with her own fingers, waiting.

She looks up when Janai enters the tent, and she frowns.

Amaya gestures for Janai to sit next to her, then makes the sign for “not” and points at Janai. The last sign is something Janai doesn’t recognize.

Nonetheless, she sees it in Amaya’s eyes what the woman is trying to say.

She kneels in front of her, placing a clean roll of gauze, an herbal paste and a clean bowl of water on the ground.

It’s hard to move around with half of her armour still on her body, but Janai knows she won’t be able to do anything else if she doesn’t take care of this first.

“It is my fault.” She says, making sure that Amaya can see her lips. She extends her palm.

“Give me your hand.”

Amaya pouts. She honest to the Gods pouts, keeping her hand close to her chest, then shakes her head.

The word and sign for ‘cute’ blast into Janai’s brain.

She blinks.

“Are you being serious right now?”

Amaya’s lips press against one another as the woman clearly tries to suppress a smile. She nods.

Janai scoffs.

“I swear, woman. We both know I can tackle you to the ground in no time, if I have to.”

It’s Amaya’s turn to scoff.

_You wish_.

Janai narrows her eyes, her palm still extended.

“You are the most difficult person I’ve ever met in my life.”

Amaya’s eyes send a spark.

_Thank you._

“That was not- I wasn’t- Amaya. Give me your hand and let me take care of that burn. You can’t fight like that, and I need you to be at the top of your game.”

That seems to do the trick, as Amaya rolls her eyes and finally extends her injured hand.

Janai takes it, using the water and a piece of gauze to clean the burn as best as she can. If Amaya is feeling any pain, she does her best to hide it.

Janai works in silence for a few minutes, before she looks up, finding Amaya already looking at her.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” She softly asks, starting to put some of the paste on the burn.

Amaya shrugs.

_It’s not bad._ she signs.

“It is, though. I burned right through your glove, right through the skin.”

Again, Amaya shrugs, like it really is nothing.

Janai wraps the gauze around her hand, making sure that she’s leaving enough room for the injury to breathe and heal.

Once she’s done, she collects all her supplies and looks back at Amaya.

“Why did you do it? It must’ve hurt like hell.”

Amaya makes a sign with her indexes, then taps the fingers of both hands against one another, followed with two signs that Janai has never seen and then pointing at her.**

Amaya flinches and blushes just as she finishes, but Janai shakes her head.

“I didn’t understand a single thing.”

Amaya nods and points at herself, signing _I’ve seen worse._

Janai frowns, then sighs and nods.

_I would do it again_. Amaya continues with a smile.

Janai shoots her a glare.

“Please, don’t. Thank you.”

Amaya chuckles.

As Janai gets up to take all her supplies back to the medic, she watches Amaya gently prod at her hand.

Janai thinks of the signs Amaya made before changing her mind and wonders what they meant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * This is the an oath that British knights used to say on their knighting ceremony.  
> ** Make sure to read the one-shot I will be posting from Amaya's POV. It's coming up in a couple of days, but it will work as a tier between this chapter and the next.
> 
> I'm more than determined to go back to school and properly learn ASL but... The course is expensive, so I'm still working towards it.  
> If you want to support me and my writing, head over to my ko-fi! Let's get a coffee!
> 
> https://www.ko-fi.com/lexalivesinus


	3. THREE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Solitae for helping me navigate a particularly tricky scene, your input was so appreciated!  
> Enjoy this chapter before we head toward... Well. The end.  
> I'm quiiiiite convinced there's going to be only one chapter afterwards, but who knows lmao  
> [Un-edited]

CHAPTER THREE

* * *

Janai comes back to the tent to find Amaya in the same position as she’s left her, only with a smile on her face that seems to light up the whole tent.

“You should be sleeping.” She says, only managing to point at Amaya and then awkwardly signing for ‘sleep’. She knows she should be closing her eyes as she does it, but she feels stupid as she repeats the gesture she’s learned from her book, so she keeps staring at the human instead.

Amaya shrugs, raising her hands, palms up, and wiggling her fingers. She then points at her with an even bigger smile.

_I was waiting for you_.

Janai has to physically hold herself back from doing something very stupid, like surging forward and kissing the damn woman on the mouth.

She clears her voice, instinctively pointing at Amaya, not really knowing how to finish her sentence.

Amaya raises one eyebrow, waiting.

A word, a very specific word and sign pops into Janai’s mind, and her fingers manage to reach her chin, before she panics and changes her mind mid sign.

Amaya’s features are coloured in amusement. _Am I hungry?_

Janai just nods.

Amaya grins, then shrugs.

_Not really, but thanks for asking_.

They stare at each other for a long moment, before Amaya pats the cot next to hers once again.

This time, Janai blows off all the candles, finishes to undress herself down to her under armour. When she joins the other woman, Amaya’s gives her a half-lidded smile, barely suffocating a yawn.

Janai lies with her, rolling on one side to be able to look at Amaya.

In the quiet of the tent, Janai almost forgets there’s a war outside.

The woman in front of her has storms in her blood and peace in her eyes. Janai feels like she could lie there forever.

Amaya snuggles closer, happily lulled to sleep by the warmth Janai is emitting.

Janai traces the scar under her eye with her thumb, and Amaya turns her face to lean completely on her palm.

Janai knows the General is probably able to kick a whole army‘s ass on her own without breaking a sweat.

And yet, as she falls asleep with the other woman’s body pressed against hers, she vows to absolutely destroy anyone who’d dare to touch Amaya.

They fly over Xadia’s deserts and forests, miles and miles of inhabited lands that will be most likely burned by the passage of Viren’s destructive army.

Janai and Amaya both do their best to elaborate a plan with what little they have and know of their situation.

Somehow, talking about military strategies comes easier than anything else: they’re both Generals, both warriors, and they live on the same wavelengths. They have equally good ideas, and often find themselves thinking of the same thing at the same time.

“It makes sense now that the Breach has never been claimed by either you or us.” Janai says after a solid hour of scheming and plotting.

_Why_?

Janai shrugs.

“We are equally good, in terms of fighting, and in terms of strategic planning. Whatever one planned, the other one would and did already predict. We would’ve never prevailed against the other, and well... We didn’t, did we? Look at us now. Allies.”

_Friends_. Amaya signs with a smirk.

Janai flicks her on the arm.

“You’re still my prisoner.” She reminds her, grumpily.

Amaya snorts.

They land at the Storm Spire when the day is coming to an end, and Janai watches as Amaya slides down her mount and runs to those who must be her nephews.

One is incredibly young and incredibly small, and Janai thinks that if someone was to cut the mane he has for hair, he’ll probably look too tiny to even see, let alone take into consideration.

The other boy is a scrawny teenager with gentle eyes and an awkward stance.

Behind them, a teenager Moonshadow girl, a Skywing Mage and the human boy, Soren.

Janai slides down as well, approaching the group and catching the last chunk of the conversation.

“...you have an elf friend now, too?”

Thinking of the constant banter between her and Amaya, Janai feels the urge to repeat what she’s been trying to tell everybody.

“We are not friends. She’s my prisoner.” She says, and even she realizes how unconvincing she sounds.

Predictably so, Amaya shakes her head, starting to sign something in response.

_She thinks I’m cute_...

Janai catches the first part of the sentence Amaya is signing, and her brain short circuits.

_She thinks I’m cute..._

How? Did Kazi tell Amaya?

She blushes, pointedly avoiding the kid’s piercing gaze. Luckily for her, he seems to be the only one who’s understood what Amaya’s said.

_She thinks I’m cute..._

It must’ve been Kazi... But not even Kazi has ever been aware of what she’s been trying to learn and find the courage to tell Amaya.

Maybe Amaya has figured out the incredible amount of feelings that she’s been harbouring in her heart.

But no, not even Amaya is _that_ intuitive.

Janai shakes herself out of her own thoughts, crossing her arms in front of her face and bowing slightly.

“I am Janai, Golden Knight of Lux Aurea.” She says, trying not to think that she’s Queen, now. Queen of Lux Aurea.

“I brought my city’s forces.” She pushes on. “What’s left of them. They wait at the bottom of the Storm Spire, ready to find the monster who destroyed our home.”

Janai feels every gaze on her, but she doesn’t see any judgement, or fear. Only gratitude and maybe, _maybe_ , hope.

The kids in front of her straighten up their spine.  
They, too, are ready to fight.

As Ezran mounts the big red dragon and his brother says his goodbyes, Janai elbows Amaya in the ribs.

When she turns to look at her, Janai lifts her chin to point at the group.

“You know the girl and your nephew are together, right?”

Amaya frowns and turns to look at the kids.

She shakes her head.

_Callum is fifteen. No way_.

Janai raises one eyebrow, surprised that Amaya doesn’t see what is so clearly obvious.

She smirks.

“Do you want to bet?”

Amaya extends her hand with a matching grin.

They split. After Ezran leaves with the red dragon and the Skywing Elf, Rayla takes Amaya to show her where everyone is going to sleep, and Callum follows Janai in her search for wood and food.

It’s not her first time at the Storm Spire, although she barely remembers the order of intricate corridors from the last time she’s visited. At that time, the only pressing matter was to find out what had happened to King Avizandum and where did the Dragon Guard disappear. She remembers walking into the main chamber to find a distraught Dragon Queen, mourning the loss of both her mate and her egg.

They are not memories she’s fond of, of course, but at least she manages to not get lost in the maze of corridors.

She guides Callum to a secondary chamber, deep in the core of the mountain, where a small garden survives and thrives thanks to the open ceiling and the gentle wind that moves through the flowers and the trees.

She starts collecting dry wood in silence, bringing each piece to the entrance of the chamber. After the second trip, she spots Callum not so subtly staring at her.

She stops and turns to him.

“What’s your plan with my aunt?” He asks, almost angrily.

Janai is taken aback by the evident hostility in his tone, and by the stance the boy takes, rigid and defensive.

“What do you mean?” She can’t help but asking, because certainly he can’t mean what she thinks he means.

“I mean, do you, like, are you going to court her or something?” Callum asks with a subtle blush.

Blush that spreads on Janai’s cheeks as well, because of course he means that.

He did understand what Amaya had said in regard of Janai considering her cute.

And yet, she’s not going to admit her feelings to a teenager...

“I don’t think this is any of your-“

Callum’s hand shoots upward, drawing a quick rune in the air, and the area around them crackles.

Pure electricity sparks between them, and Callum’s hand fills with thunderous shocks waving through his fingers. Janai’s eyes widen in surprise.

“Ezran and my aunt are all I have left of my family.” He says, and it’s curious how his gentle nature seems to transform in spasmodic need to protect his loved ones. It’s something Janai can understand well. She looks at the boy, at his eyes, his features, and the few pieces of information she has finally click together in her brain.

“Aunt Amaya is the only connection I have left with my mother.” Callum continues, electricity cracking between them.

Janai understands.

“Your mother... was Amaya’s sister.” She says, and suddenly everything else makes sense.

The pain in her eyes when they’d watched Khessa falling from the Sun Forge, the understanding, the sorrow. Amaya had known the true size of her loss all along.

“What happened to your mother, boy?” Janai asks, and her voice is broken despite herself.

Callum’s hand lowers just a bit.

“Thunder killed her.” He says. “The Dragon King. I don’t know the specifics but...”

Janai nods, lowering herself to the ground. She picks up a flower and rolls it between her fingers.

“Another victim of this senseless war.” She says, mostly to herself.

She barely realizes the crackling of thunder has stopped, but when she looks up, Callum is standing there, arms by his side, and his face shows all his young years.

Callum scratches the back of his neck.

“Are you in love with her?” He asks.

Janai’s entire being rebels against those words, and she growls, desperately trying to ignore how fast her heart is now beating.

“Love is a complicated matter, boy.” She almost snaps, standing once again and turning with her back to him.

There’s a long moment of silence, long enough for Callum to understand her true feelings, hidden under her refusal to speak further.

“It doesn’t have to be.” He says, quietly. “Not if what you feel is true.”

Janai hears those words too deep in her bones for them to just leave her unaffected. But she squares her shoulders and turns to face the boy.

“Is what you feel for the Moonshadow girl true, then?”

And just like that, the composure is gone. Callum blushes from head to toes, the tip of his rounded ears sticking out from his hair, turning a soft red.

“I-that’s not- I mean, it’s not that I _don’t_ -“ he sputters, flailing his arms in a very non-prince like fashion.

Janai can’t keep a smug and amused smirk from emerging, and Callum pouts, crossing his arms on his chest.

The resemblance with Amaya is uncanny.

“You look a lot like her.” She says, unable to contain herself, so quietly that she thinks Callum might not have heard her.

But Callum’s shoulders drop, as well as his head.

“It’s because we both look a lot like mom.” He murmurs.

Human or elf, Janai has known loss.

She’s lost her grandma, her parents, her sister.

“What was your mother’s name?”

“Sarai.”

It doesn’t matter that they had born into different sides of a shameful war: they are one and the same, and Janai knows loss just like he does.

“It is a beautiful name.”

She lowers herself onto a rock, then gestures for Callum to join her.

He sits right next to her, twisting his hands in his lap.

“When mom died, Aunt Amaya was... Well, I wanna say quiet, even thought it’s not the right word. But she was, you know? In a way. I don’t know how to explain it.”

Janai thinks back of the days following the trial of the light, when Amaya had seemed more withdrawn, more absent with her mind, and she thinks she understands what Callum means.

“She cut her hair, the same length she’s wearing it now.” Callum continues. “I mean, she did it to honour mom, of course, but apparently I had gone to her and said... ‘We look the same now, Aunt!’. I was very little; I don’t even remember telling her that.”

Callum chuckles, and somehow, it’s warm of the affection he has for his aunt.

“She’s kept it short ever since. When my hair started growing out more, and it had to be trimmed, she went out and did the same to her own.”

Janai feels her heart closing into an almost painful squeeze. She thinks back of all the other moments in Amaya’s company. Of how her affection had always been declared through actions, and not words.

Not because of her lack of hearing, but because Amaya was just like that.

She was just special like that.

“She is like no one I’ve ever met.” She murmurs, and she finds she doesn’t care if Callum hears her.

They sit in silence for what feels like hours, but Janai relaxes in the presence of the boy.

He is gentle and good natured, and she can see a good future ahead of him.

“Have you started training to connect to other Arcanums?” She asks, catching Callum mid yawn.

Which, of course, manages to transform it into a choked cough. Janai just stares at the boy with a raised eyebrow.

Callum pats himself on the chest, regaining his composure, before turning to look at her.

“What are you talking about?”

Janai gets up, stretching her arms above her head.

“Exactly what I said. You have attuned yourself to the Sky Arcanum, as you’ve shown me with that little magic trick. No human has ever done that, of course.”

Callum looks like he’s about to argue, but Janai raises her hand to stop him.

“I did not say it’s impossible, just unheard of.” She continues. “But this only means that you have the potential to attune yourself to other Primal Sources.”

Callum blinks, his mouth falling open.

“I never... thought about that.”

Janai shrugs, tapping her fingers on her sheath.

“It’s a possibility.”

Callum gets up, chuckling awkwardly.

“Thanks, I guess. You-Uh. You’re cool.”

Janai stares at him, her expression unreadable.

She is not sure what he means by that, but she doesn’t think it’s anything bad.

She does not respond, unsure to what to say, and Callum blushes a bit more.

He kicks the dirt with the tip of his boot, keeping his thoughts to himself for maybe five seconds, before blurting out: “So what’s your plan with Aunt Amaya?”

It’s the same question he’s asked a few minutes ago, but it’s less hostile, this time, and more encouraging.

Less menacing, and more hopeful.

Janai senses affection behind them, and she doesn’t know how to take it.

“I don’t know.” She says, honestly.

Callum nods, then shrugs, looking up at her.

“Maybe you should just tell her.”

Janai bites her tongue, holding back all the reasons why that solution sounds naive and dangerous and absolutely terrifying.

“Maybe.” She says instead, with a tone that clips the conversation short.

They stare at each other, then look away, still not used to trusting each other, but realizing that they already do, thanks to the same woman they both care for.

Callum clears his voice and gestures to the cavern they’re still in.

“So, uhm. What is this place anyway? And how did you know it’s here?”

Janai shrugs, kneeling to pluck some berries out of the nearest bush.

“I came with my Queen to check in on Zubeia when Avizandum was killed and Azymondias’ egg was stolen.” She explains, formally. “We didn’t know at the time, of course. We thought they were both lost forever. The Sunfire, Moonshadow and Skywing gathered to try and find out what happened, and why did the Dragon Guard escape, letting all of this unfold.”

She stops talking, not because she’s saying more than she’s said to anyone in a while, which is already quite strange, but because she sees the look on Callum’s face.

“Did I say something wrong, boy?” She demands, on the defensive.

She can see a lot of Amaya in him and a lot of Callum in Amaya. She doesn’t want to anger him, and not only because she clearly likes his aunt, but because she likes him too.

“Yeah- I mean, no! I mean-“ he sputters, laughing nervously and then releasing a heavy sigh.

“Yeah, there’s, there is something you need to know about the Dragon Guard.”

They go back to the main chambers to find Rayla and Amaya looking like they could be ready to start a war. Not against each other, but against the world.

As soon as they walk in, Janai’s arms full of wood and Callum’s arms full of food, Rayla throws her arms in the air with a frustrated groan. Amaya simply sighs in relief.

“Where _were_ you?!” Rayla half shouts, marching toward Callum and jabbing a finger at his chest.

Janai and Callum look at each other, and Janai shrugs. She knows just as much as he does.

He carefully places the berries they found on the centrepiece in the middle of the room and turns to grab Rayla’s forearm with his hands.

“Hey, we just went to get some stuff. Janai knows her way around here, there’s a really cool chamber that-“

“We were worried _sick_ , Callum!” Rayla interrupts, anger washing away and revealing the anxiety beneath it.

Janai understands way before Callum does, and she feels her stomach turning inside of her.

“I would’ve never hurt Callum.” She says, dropping the wood and trying to keep her voice from shaking. She refuses to look at all of them. She can understand Rayla and her not trusting her, but she had thought that Amaya-

A hand falls on her shoulder, and when she glances up, Amaya is right there, and she’s looking at her with the same expression as Rayla.

She shakes her head, urgently.

Janai resists the impulse to shrug her hand off her shoulder, her heart heavy and her stomach in a knot.

Before she can say anything, though, Rayla interjects.

“We were worried for the both of you.”

She is holding Callum’s whole arm in her hands, like she’s afraid he might disappear.

Janai looks back at Amaya, who is smiling softly at her, nodding at Rayla’s words.

Just like it came, the pain inside Janai’s body vanishes, and a soft warmth spreads in her bones.

Amaya nods again, glances at Callum for translation, then turns back to look at her.

_We didn’t know where you were, and neither me nor Rayla know how to navigate this place. You were away for a very long time. We thought something had happened._

Amaya ducks her head, shrugging and releasing another relieved sigh.

Janai feels that same warmth spreading to the tip of her fingers, and she thinks she might burst if she doesn’t contain it.

Instinctively, she grabs Amaya’s chin, just like she’s done in the ring of fire all those days ago, and gently lifts her face.

“I am sorry. I did not know we were gone for a long time. Callum and I had many things to discuss, and I did not want to rush through any of them. It was not my intention to worry you. I apologize.”

Amaya smiles, softly, and Janai’s heart skips a beat when she leans with her face against her palm, just for a moment.

_It’s okay._ She signs.

No translation comes from Callum, but Janai understands that sign well, by now.

She smiles back, before turning with her to face Callum and Rayla.

She’s ready to apologize to Rayla, too, but the Moonshadow girl is too focused on kissing Callum to even realize they’re both staring.

Janai throws a glance at Amaya, whose jaw has gone slack and who is looking at the two teenagers like the Moon has just landed on the Earth.

Janai can’t help the chuckle that escapes her, and that does the trick, successfully breaking the two teenagers apart.

Rayla looks like she’s horrified but what she’s done, while Callum’s face is redder than Janai’s robes.

“Soooooo...” Callum says, with a higher pitch than normal. “I guess maybe I forgot to tell you that Rayla is a biiiiit more than just a friend?”

Janai lips seal shut as she looks at the ceiling, the most _interesting_ part of that cavern...

Amaya turns to look at her.  
Janai’s lips twitch, and that does it.

Amaya releases an offended and surprised sound, then punches her on the arm, her face showing the most utter and absolute outrage.

Janai can’t hold it back anymore.

She starts laughing, and her heart swells at the sight of Amaya’s scowl melting into a grin.


	4. FOUR

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turns out, this is NOT the last chapter. It was supposed to be, but I decided to split it once more. The next will definitely close this story though. I'm already writing the last scenes.  
> In the meantime, enjoy a shorter, but very important chapter.  
> Un-edited as usual.

CHAPTER FOUR

* * *

Amaya stays with the kids as Janai flies down to where her army has set up camp to check in with her commander.

The whole army is buzzing, in anticipation and worry, ready for the battle and yet dreading it, like any good soldier.

Janai is offered to stay down with them, but she looks back to the top of the Spire and knows where her heart wants to be.

If this is her last night, she wants it to count for something.

So she bids her good nights and mounts back on her griffin, circling the Spire a couple times before landing at the very top.

As she slides down her mount, her eyes fall immediately on the woman sitting next to the entrance.

Amaya has her back against the stone wall, her knees bent and her arms loosely draped around them, her chin resting on top.

She is not wearing any armour, but a pair of pants and a shirt that are clearly too small for her, highlighting the lines of her body.

Janai’s heart somersaults at the sight.

She removes her bag from her shoulders and approaches her, sitting down next to Amaya.

_It’s beautiful_. Amaya signs, pointing at the sky.

Janai nods.

It really is.

She taps Amaya on the arm to catch her attention.

“The kids?”

_Sleeping_. _Soren, too_.

Janai nods again. Amaya leans with her head on her arms, tilted up to look at her.

Janai doesn’t know what she wants to do, but she knows she’s made the right decision: this is exactly where her heart wants to be.

“We could die tomorrow.” She ends up saying.

Amaya sighs, sadly, moving just enough to answer.

_I know._

Janai takes a deep breath.

“If we do, I don’t want to regret not doing this.”

Amaya’s eyes widen just so, and she straightens up.

Janai uselessly clears her voice, then brings her hand up, pointing at herself. “I...”

She taps her temple with her index. “...think...”

She points at Amaya, fighting and failing to hold a blush to spread across her face. “...you’re...”

Finally, with a shaky hand and embarrassment washing over her, she taps her chin, brushing it twice with her two fingers.

“...Cute.”

Janai knows her whole face is flushed, she feels the awkwardness of her gesture deep into her bones.

She almost regrets doing it.

Almost.

Because Amaya’s face is worth the whole thing.

Her eyes widen even more and a soft redness spreads all over her cheeks. Her lips tilt up in the most beautiful smile Janai’s ever seen her wearing and she feels her whole body burst with feelings for the other woman.

Amaya is literally glowing, so much so that Janai briefly thinks the Gods could shut down the Moon and the Spire would still be brightened up by Amaya’s smile.

She chuckles, awkwardly, shrugging.

Amaya presses her lips together to contain her smile. Then...

_Finally_. She signs.

And Janai blinks.

Finally?

She frowns, looking at the other woman. She has no idea what she means by that.

She couldn’t have known she was planning to do this.

Unless...

Amaya’s eyes dart to where her bag is resting.

The same bag containing the dictionary.

Janai’s eyes widen almost comically, and it’s her turn to blush profusely. She feels put on the spot.

“You knew?”

Amaya lifts her hands, then shakes her head.

_I’m sorry. I saw the book, it opened, and I saw “cute”._

She looks very apologetic, as she tries to explain the situation in a way that Janai can understand and as she rubs her fist against her chest, repeatedly.

Janai ignores the fast beating of her heart and sighs with a smile.

As much as she feels the embarrassment for what has just happened, she’s also kind of relieved that Amaya is being so open and honest with her.

“You told Callum I thought you were cute. You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

Amaya’s shit eating grin is enough of a response.

Janai shakes her head in exasperation, leaning against the stone of the mountain, eyes trained on Amaya.

“You are the most infuriating person I know.” She tells her.

Amaya feigns surprise, then gently pushes her with one hand.

_Why, thank you_. She signs with that silly, beautiful smile.

Janai just looks at her, revelling in what they have, in how they are, in who they became.

Amaya tilts her head, her smile melting into a smaller, softer one.

“Amaya?” Janai murmurs, her heart beating out of her chest with the way Amaya’s body puffs at reading her name on her lips.

_Yes?_

“If we really do die tomorrow...” Janai continues, voice low.

“Then there is something else I would regret not doing.”

Amaya raises one eyebrow, and nods, curiosity painted all over her features.

Janai leans in, lifting a hand to brush a few strands of hair away from Amaya’s eyes, before pausing with her fingers on the other woman’s cheek.

And that’s when Amaya understand.

Her lips part slightly in surprise, and Janai is close enough to see her eyes well up with joy.

When she kisses her, Amaya releases a breath against her lips.

When she kisses her, Amaya shakes, she trembles.

When she kisses her, Amaya feels like the Sun and the Moon and the Stars, she feels like the Sky and the Earth and the Ocean.

She feels like awakening after a very long slumber.

Amaya’s lips are chapped but soft, dry but warm.

When she kisses her, Amaya kisses her back, and Janai weeps.

Janai’s fingers thread into Amaya’s short hair, and it’s not long until their bodies are frantically pressing against one another.

After pining for so long, watching from afar, staring from up close, wishing, wanting, waiting, it’s like a dam has been broken down.

Janai can’t help but parting her lips to Amaya’s tongue, and she thinks she could cry and laugh and burst into flames when Amaya starts exploring her mouth.

Amaya’s fingers are soft, but they’re holding her like they don’t want to ever let her go.

Janai tilts her head, giving her a better angle, and Amaya takes what she offers, kissing her like she’d been waiting a lifetime to do just that.

Janai closes her teeth on Amaya’s lower lip, biting gently and eliciting a small gasp from the other woman, a something that makes her stomach growl in want, in desire, in affection.

Amaya’s palms are cool on her neck, and her nails gently but insistently scratching the back of her neck, making her moan.

It’s the vibration of that sound on her mouth that makes Amaya lean back, eyes dark and quickened breath.

They stare at each other for a brief, stretched out moment.

Janai remembers thinking Amaya had a world in her eyes, and she knows now how wrong she’s been.

Amaya _is_ a whole world herself, and her eyes are just a window to something that Janai wants to keep with her forever.

There is a question on the woman’s face and Janai nods, frantically, grabbing Amaya by the hips and dragging her close to her once again.

Amaya laughs, briefly, breathlessly, swinging one leg across Janai’s lap and straddling her.

Their bodies come together, arching against one another, as Janai’s hands move up to press against Amaya’s back, as Amaya’s fingers trace the lines of Janai’s face.

Janai looks at her, her heart bursting from happiness and desire and love.

Never before she’s felt this way.

Never before she’s thought her body could be awakened like that.

Her whole being is trembling, warmed up by the woman in her arms.

She senses the fire in her blood and the feelings in her heart and they are one and the same.

“My Sun.” She breathes.

Amaya’s breath hitches, and Janai sees new tears in her eyes.

Amaya slides her fingers over her cheek, gently caressing her lines. Janai leans into one hand, turning her face to press her lips on Amaya’s palm, right where the burn scar still rests.

She looks up at Amaya, veneration in her gaze.

“My Sun.” She repeats, her voice choked up.

If she dies tomorrow, this is what she wants to remember. Amaya, alive in her arms, watching her like she is the only thing that matters.

The woman’s fingers move up once more, brushing over Janai’s eyes, thumbs following the shape of her eyebrows; and then up, on her forehead.

Gently, slowly, Amaya’s fingers slide under her headpiece, pushing it upward and back. Janai ducks her head just a little to allow the woman to remove it completely, and her head feels so much lighter without it.

Amaya places the headpiece on the bag beside them, before cradling Janai’s face in her palms once more.

Her fingertips trace the shape of her lips and Janai can only stare, drinking her in.

Amaya laughs, softly, with so much affection in her eyes that Janai wonders how could she have ever considered this woman an enemy.

They’ve certainly gone a long way.

“Let’s not die tomorrow?” She pleads.

She leaves the rest unsaid, but she sees it reflected in Amaya’s eyes.

She wants more of this. Of them.

Amaya nods.

They lean into each other at the same time, lips finding lips, breaths mixing, bodies meeting.

When they part again, the Moon has started its descent.

Amaya presses a kiss on Janai’s forehead and Janai closes her eyes, wrapping her arms around her waist and holding her close.

She presses her face against Amaya’s chest, inhaling, breathing in her smell and committing it to memory.

Amaya slides her own arms around Janai’s shoulders and together they breathe, and breathe, and breathe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on tumblr at lexa-lives-in-us and let's chat!


	5. FIVE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we go. The very end... Or maybe a new beginning?  
> Thank you Solitae for being such a gem and bouncing back and forth ideas and concept. <3  
> [Un-edited]

CHAPTER FIVE

* * *

The morning comes too soon, and it sees them still outside, Amaya’s head on Janai’s shoulder, their hands intertwined and the dictionary open between them.

Janai doesn’t remember how many words they’ve managed to go through before finally falling asleep, but she doesn’t care.

She can’t bring herself to care, not when Amaya is waking up next to her, scrunching up her nose like the Sun rising is personally offending her.

While Janai basks in the soft light of the morning, Amaya pouts and turns to hide her face in Janai’s neck.

Her heart skips a beat, the memories of the night fresh in her brain and the comforting presence of Amaya’s body pressed against hers as a reminder that they’re really there, together, facing what could either be their last day on this Earth or the first of the rest of their lives.

Janai smirks at Amaya’s obstinate refusal to face the morning Sun, but doesn’t make a single move. She waits, and watches as the Storm Spire comes to life when the Sun hits the rocks, the soft glow of morning enveloping them and the fields around them.

Janai can see a dark line forming under the horizon. She squeezes Amaya’s hand still in hers and Amaya looks up. Still with her head on Janai shoulder, she follows her gaze and finds what she’s looking at.

They both watch in silence as the black line on the horizon thickens, as it starts to shape in the form of an army.

Viren’s army.

Janai is at peace. She’s fought countless of battles, and her body is ready. She was born to wield a sword and protect her people, so this is what she’s ready to do.

If anything, she feels even more confident than she’s felt in a very long time.

She has new people with her. New friends, new allies.

New partners.

Janai is not sure what is happening between herself and Amaya, and she is not sure where it will go if they make it out alive after today.

But she is sure of the feelings in her chest, and she is sure of Amaya.

After what they’ve gone through, she has no doubt in her mind that Amaya will stand and fight next to her until the very end.

Almost reading her mind, Amaya lifts their joined hands and presses her lips on Janai’s battered knuckles.

Janai turns to find her already looking at her.

Their lips meet halfway, in a soft kiss that means nothing and that means absolutely _everything_.

Janai sighs, closing her eyes for a brief moment and pressing her forehead against Amaya’s.

“Are you ready?” She asks, already knowing the answer.

She opens her eyes to see Amaya’s short nod, then she follows her gaze as she looks briefly at something out of Janai’s line of sight and smiles.

Janai turns to see Callum standing there, blushing profusely but grinning like a mad man.

Janai has never shown vulnerability to complete strangers, nor she has felt comfortable with public demonstrations of affection with her past partners, but she finds that she doesn’t really care that Callum has seen them.

That family has something very peculiar to them.

Nonetheless, she raises a questioning eyebrow at Callum. The kid snaps into attention.

“Right! Breakfast is ready, then we should probably figure out what to do?”

Amaya nods, releasing Janai’s hand to sign.

_Is your army going to follow my orders?_ She asks, with Callum translating.

Janai doesn’t even have to think about it.

“Without a doubt.”

Amaya’s spine straightens, her shoulders square up, and just like that Janai sees the General again.

_Good. Then let’s go get ready. I have a plan._

(Janai makes of Rayla the last Dragon Guard and Rayla looks like her life has just been made.

Janai starts to understand a different meaning of the word family.)

They land on the battlefield, Viren’s army close and menacing, staring at them from a not so far distance.

Soren shuffles from one foot to the other, but there’s determination in his features.

Just like Amaya, Janai trusts him, and wishes she could take the pain away from him.

Losing family to a war is one thing, but having that same family causing the war is another.

Janai steadies herself, unsheathing her sword. The familiar warmth coming from its blade reassures her, but not completely.

She taps Amaya’s wrist with a finger, successfully catching her attention.

“However this goes...” She says, then trails off, not really knowing what to say.

Or knowing it, but unsure how to express it fully.

Amaya smiles. She nods.

_I know. Me, too._

And then Amaya raises her shield, and like one spirit, the elves move and form the first line of defence.

Janai watches her people move under the commanding presence of this one woman in absolute awe.

She has thought of herself as powerful, in the past, as unbeatable.

But now, with Amaya by her side, Soren by the other, her people and her allies, now she thinks she knows what true power is.

And she doesn’t think of swords or Primal Magic. She doesn’t think of soldiers and warriors.

She thinks of family, blood one and chosen one. She thinks of shields and sacrifice and loss and love.

She thinks of the girl who’s following her parents’ steps and protecting the dragons.

She thinks of the boy with a gentle soul who didn’t let Dark Magic consume his soul, who didn’t let his suffering made him evil.

She thinks of the woman with no voice who has brought a new music in her life.

Janai grips her sword with confidence.

However this battle might go, she has won something else already.

There’s blood. There’s death. There are bodies hitting the ground, and dust and smoke and magic seeping through the air.

Janai’s body dances through known steps, fighting and protecting. Her sword moves just like an extension of her own hand, and she admires the tenacity and resilience of her soldiers.

The line holds, despite everything, despite the horrifying, powerful Dark Magic that is threatening to win them over.

It shakes and backs down, but it holds.

Even when soldiers are knocked down, more step up to take their places. Amaya presses herself between two elves and it doesn’t matter that their shields don’t match, it doesn’t matter that a month ago they would’ve been ready to kill each other: the line is strong, and it holds.

Janai exchange a quick look with Amaya and she sees the same pride, the same strength reflected in the human’s eyes.

She’s about to step forward and give more orders when the line is broken once again.

Only this time is Amaya who is flying through the air, being hurled away from a bulky, enraged enemy monster.

Janai is there, catching Amaya’s body with her own, both of them choking out a breath from the force of the impact.

Janai’s bones go cold in worry, as she tries to assess Amaya’s wounds.

Her General looks mostly winded by the impact, but otherwise okay.

Janai waits for Soren to take her away from the immediate battle, and then turns around.

The cold she’s felt in seeing Amaya hurt suddenly disappears, replaced by a bubbling, growing, _hot_ rage.

She doesn’t have to search for the fire in her blood, this time, because the fury she feels is just waiting to be released.

She takes a deep breath.

And she lets it out.

When they see Callum literally soaring the skies with Rayla hanging in his arms, they collectively draw a big sigh of relief.

Janai noticed the subtle change in Amaya’s stance as her nephew lands safe and sound on the plank of the Storm Spire.

Her collected demeanour remains in place, but Janai has watched her and her face way too much not to notice the relief that washes over her.

After that, it’s all a rush of emotions, one after the other: Rayla telling them how Viren is no more, Callum recounting what happened at the top of the Spire, Ezran coming back, escorted by Soren, the Dragon Queen awakening and greeting them...

Janai is quite certain she’s never lived a day quite as full and emotional as today.

She feels like she’s been awake for a week, and the soreness in her muscles, although familiar and not at all unwelcome, is starting to make itself insistent.

Callum, Rayla, Ezran, Bait and Zym stay in the Dragon Queen’s lair to recount their adventure from the very beginning, and the rest of the group disperse to re-organize supplies for the rest of the day.

Amaya goes to meet with Queen Aanya, the blonde human child who has quite literally saved them all, while Janai flies down to find her commander and check on her troops.

By the time she makes it back to the Spire, Soren, Gren and Kazi are sitting on the stairs, chatting, the kids’ voices are still faintly heard from inside the chamber, and Amaya is nowhere to be seen.

Janai shifts from one foot to the other, trying to remember if she’s missed her when the human troops have rallied at the bottom of the Spire to camp with her army, but nothing comes to mind.

She huffs just slightly, frustrated. She had really hoped to... Well, even just seeing Amaya before going to sleep would’ve been nice.

She makes a move to go back to her mount when she catches Gren’s wave, not-so-subtly calling for her.

She raises one questioning eyebrow at him, and he merely points up.

Janai follows his fingers to see nothing but the ceiling.

She looks back down at Gren, who rolls his eyes with an affectionate grin and raises his arm a bit more.

That does it.

“Oh.”

Without looking at Gren again, trying to hide the blush that colors her features, Janai turns on her heels and heads out, taking the stairs two at the time to reach the very top of the Spire.

She is so not prepared to the sight.

The Sky stretches wide in front of her, the soft colors of the resting Sun lighting up the crown of the mountain. Delicate clouds surround the Spire, spreading like a sea of white foam.

The orange and red light hits the stone, turning the whole place into a nest of warmth and peace.

And yet, nothing, not even the Sun that has awed her for her whole life, is as beautiful as the woman standing at the very edge of the platform, blood and dirt on her clothes, staring at her with a grin on her face.

Janai’s breathing hitches. She knows, without the shadow of a doubt, that this woman is _hers_.

As well as she knows, with absolute certainty, that her heart belongs to Amaya and Amaya only.

It’s overwhelming and it’s terrifying to know something so surely, so deeply, without capability of being questioned.

But it’s also addicting and beautiful and powerful.

“Do you ever stop smiling?” Janai asks, a matching grin growing on her face.

Amaya smile widens, and she shakes her head, happily.

“You really should.” Janai continues, finally convincing her feet to bring her closer to the other woman. “It does things to my heart.”

At that, Amaya chuckles, her cheeks tinted in a soft pink. She reaches for her, and Janai is more than happy to close the distance, forgoing her outstretched hands and grabbing Amaya’s waist.

She lifts her and spins her around without a care in the world.

Amaya laughs, breathlessly, without tearing her gaze away from her.

Janai holds her there, on top of the world, on top of _her_ world.

She wants to say something, say what she feels in her heart, but as she looks at Amaya, she finds that she doesn’t need to.

She sees it reflected in her eyes, and she realizes that words would not make justice to that kind of love.

Slowly, she lowers her to the ground. Immediately, Amaya reaches for her hands.

Their bodies come together, their fingers intertwine.

Amaya leans in to brush her lips against hers, and Janai’s heart explodes.

They have lost so much, and gained so much in return.

Her soul aches for her sister, for the lives she’s lost amongst her people.

And there is going to be time to mourn and cry and let grief take over.

But she’s gained something she never even thought existed.

Friendship, and understanding, and support, and love.

Amaya kisses her like the world outside doesn’t exist, and Janai wants to drown in the sensation. She wants to drown in everything that is Amaya and everything that she isn’t, because even that is worth discovering if she’s by her side.

Janai grabs her by the waist to bring her closer, as Amaya’s fingers keeps her mouth on hers. Amaya’s hands are callous and dirty and cold, and Janai doesn’t think she’s ever been kissed like that, touched like that.

She kisses her and then leans back to look at her, at her expressive eyes and the mischievous glint in them.

They both stare at each other with matching grins, and Janai doesn’t want to ever let go.

She presses her lips against Amaya’s scar, the one she’s never asked about and to which she never will.

She wants to know everything about her, but she will never ask. She will share her story and be there whenever Amaya will want to share hers.

Amaya leans into her touch, briefly closing her eyes. Her arms sneak around her shoulders and they stay like that, holding each other, breathing in.

Janai finds it easier to breathe when Amaya is around.

Amaya’s fingers scratches the back of her neck, sending a shockwave throughout her body. She can’t hold back the shiver, and Amaya notices.

Because, _of course_ Amaya notices.

_Are you okay?_ She signs with one hand, keeping the other on Janai’s neck.

Janai hums, nodding.

She places her palm on Amaya’s chest, right where she remembers cutting through her armour during their first first.

Amaya’s hands lands on top of hers, and Janai looks up, into her eyes.

“I am with you. How could I not be?” She says, cheekily.

Amaya rolls her eyes, but the blush on her face says too much of how she really feels.

Janai chuckles, turning her hand in Amaya’s to clasp it and then bring her fingers to her lips.

She kisses her knuckles, each of the five, marvelling for a moment in that extra finger.

When she looks up, Amaya is watching her with amused adoration.

She brings her other hand down and points at her, before circling her own face with it.

Those signs, Janai knows.

She’s checked them right after finding out how to sign ‘cute’ for the first time.

_You’re beautiful._

Janai scoffs, embarrassed, and just like that, they’re laughing again.

Amaya is her own person, of course, and she owes her absolutely nothing. Amaya doesn’t need her, nor does she need anyone else.

She’s strong, and independent, and beautiful herself.

They both are.

Neither need much from others, because they’ve learned to fend for themselves a long time ago.

Janai knows that the need they seem to have for each other is different than that.

It goes deeper than that.

Amaya is something special. Before her, Janai’s always thought that the key to a good relationship is communication.

As Amaya swings their hands together with a smug grin on her face, she realizes now how wrong she’s been.

As Amaya drags her closer to steal a kiss that literally stops her heart, and kisses her like she’s can’t get enough of her, she realizes what the truth is.

The key to success is understanding.

Communication without understanding is doomed to fail.

But Amaya has opened her heart, her eyes, her mind and her hands.

She’s pushed her farther and higher than anyone else has ever done before.

As Amaya leans back to smile smugly at her dumbfounded face, Janai remembers the last few words her sister Khessa has told her before leaving her room, a life time ago.

_“I will not lose you to this war.”_

Janai takes Amaya’s face in her palms, drinking her in.

She’d lost Khessa, forever.

And she knows she would’ve lost herself, too, if someone hadn’t stopped her.

If someone hadn’t shone a light onto her path, if she hadn’t yanked her away from death and despair and revenge.

If she hadn’t set her on a path of love, instead of one of hatred.

She kisses Amaya briefly, breathing her in.

“My Sun.” She whispers, with a smile.

And her Sun smiles back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we go. If you're reading this, thank you. If you're reading this, what a ride.  
> I intended for this to be a one shot, and here we are, 5 chapters later.  
> Let me know what you thought of it, what you think of the chapter and of them and... Just thanks for being here.  
> I'm working on other stuff so I'm hoping to write more soon about them.

**Author's Note:**

> I can hear and speak, and I will be using the little ASL I know while I write this story, so I apologize if there's any mistake. I'm more than determined to go back to school and properly learn ASL but... The course is expensive, so I'm still working towards it.  
> If you want to support me and my writing, head over to my ko-fi! Let's get a coffee!
> 
> https://www.ko-fi.com/lexalivesinus


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